My Love, My Raven
by LoveL.Lawliet
Summary: Ryuzaki thought his life was too risky to allow a relationship.. could he be wrong? LxOC
1. Chapter 1

-1Chapter 1

That annoying voice… it just wouldn't stop..

"Man, this has got to be the lamest date I've ever been on," I just can't seem to read a single paragraph of my book without Misa saying something and breaking my concentration.. I sat on a pink couch next to Misa in a room with yellow walls, sitting directly across from Ryuzaki, who sat next to Light on an identical couch. "Why do you two even need to be here, anyways?"

"No, no, no, just pretend we're not even here, okay? By the way.. Are you gonna eat that piece of cake?" Ryuzaki said, pointing toward Misa's untouched slice of cake.

"Cake makes you fat, I'm not gonna eat any." Misa said in a snob-like tone. I smiled behind my book.

"Actually, I found that you don't gain weight as long as you burn calories by using your brain." Ryuzaki replied. I smiled even more at that. Misa seemed shocked by what he said.

"So now you're calling me stupid!" She leaned forward. "Fine then, I'll give you the piece of cake as long as you two agree to leave me and Light alone!"

Ryuzaki just stared blankly at Misa and said, "Even if we leave you two alone, I'll still be watching on surveillance cameras. So it wouldn't make any difference."

"You pervert! Would you stop it with your creepy hobby!" Misa shouted. I glared at her for a moment and then returned to my book, hoping I could at least _try _to read a few more chapters without my concentration being broken yet again.

"You can call me whatever you like.. Last chance for cake!" Ryuzaki stood up from his odd sitting position and reached over the table to grab Misa's cake, then sat back down.

"Well, still, Ryuzaki, I don't think you should eat so much cake. Sophie eats a ton of cake, and look at her now!" Misa said, grinning in my direction, and annoying me for the last time..

Light and Ryuzaki stared at us and could definitely feel the building tension between Misa and I. I closed my book and stood up.

"Well, I'm gonna be the smart one and leave before I hurt an idiot." I said as I started heading for the door. Misa stood up and followed me.

She shouted at me, "Oh, I'M the idiot?" I opened the door. "You're the idiot! You're not even useful when it comes to solving the kira case!" I turned around and looked at her. "Why don't you just go back to America!" That was the last straw..

I gave her the most sour look, then I drew my arm back and slapped her across the face as hard as I could. "I'd rather _die _than go back to America."

Then I left the room, closing the door behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

-1Chapter 2

I can't believe they were fighting-I mean, I know Ryuzaki was depressed because he couldn't prove Light was kira, but I didn't know Light would punch Ryuzaki in the face because of it…

"We have to stop this! Call the room!" I grabbed Matsuda's arm and shook it. He grabbed the phone and called the room, to which Ryuzaki answered with "yes?"

"Ryuzaki!" Matsuda said, "Misa-misa won first place in 'Eighteen' Reader's Popularity Poll!"

"Oh, I see.." He replied.

"And get this: she's gonna get a lead role in a new movie!" Hearing that, Ryuzaki dropped the phone.

"What was that?" Light asked.

"Matsuda's acting stupid again…" Ryuzaki said.

"Well, that is his specialty…" Light said, wiping a bit of blood away from his lip.

"I can hear you, you know.." Matsuda said with a funny look on his face. I laughed a bit, and went to sit on a couch so I could continue reading my book, _The Story of Art. _Misa went to her floor for the night, and Ryuzaki and Light returned to their usual seats by the computers.

A few hours passed, and Light retired to the couch next to me to sleep so Ryuzaki could continue to work while still chained to him. I read a few more lines of my book-

_There really is no such thing as Art. There are only artists._

I could feel someone watching me, so I looked up from behind my book. Ryuzaki was turned around in his chair, staring at me with those deep ebony eyes. I stared back for a little while, waiting for him to speak, but he just kept staring, chewing on his thumb. Deciding that he wasn't going to say anything, I looked at my book again and started reading.

_Actually, I do not think that there are any wrong reasons for liking a statue or a picture. Someone may like a landscape painting because it reminds him of home, or a portrait because it reminds him of a friend. _

"Sophia." The raven-haired man called my alias.

"Yes?"

"I can no longer contain my curiosity. Why would you rather die than go back to America?" The question caught me off guard. I stared at him for a moment, looking for the words to use..

"I have.. Bad memories of America." I replied. "It's a long story, I don't want to tear you away from your work just to-"

"Would you tell me, please? I'll give you a piece of cake." He interrupted. I smiled.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but only for the cake." I mused. "America is where my brother is."

"You have family there?" Ryuzaki asked.

"I have a large family." I replied. "As far as my family knows, I'm missing. I'd like to keep it that way.. I guess it all started when I was fourteen.. My brother was twenty at the time, an unemployed high school drop-out.I hated the way he acted. He didn't care that he didn't have a real education, and he didn't seem to care that he didn't have a job, either. He used to aggravate me all the time, telling me that I'd always be a failure, and that I'd never amount to anything. And so I grew to hate him. My parents passed away in a car accident when I was fifteen, and he blamed me because they were going out to buy me a present to reward me for my above average grades on a test. My parents left the house to my older brother in the will in hopes that his life would be somewhat more simple." I paused, and Ryuzaki patiently waited for me to continue. "He yelled at me a few days after the accident, saying that I only brought trouble and despair to our family. He told me to leave, and I refused. In a fury, he grabbed my belongings from my room and threw them out the window. I told him to stop, and.. He punched me. I fell on the floor. He grabbed me by my hair and dragged me down the stairs and out the door, and he locked me out of the house in the middle of the night."

"How cruel." Ryuzaki said quietly. It looked like he was giving the events some thought.

"I gathered up some of my belongings, clothes, a few necklaces, and this book." I pointed to the book on the coffee table that I was reading not long ago. "I stole his bike to get back at him, and I headed toward my school. It seemed like a good place to stay. I slept in the baseball field's dug outs, and I attended school during the day, and I showered in the girl's locker room and spoke with teachers afterwards and then returned to the dug outs when I was sure no one was using them. And you know what? I didn't mind staying there. I liked it. I learned a lot, and I gained skills in keeping secretive. I learned how to pick the pad locks used in the girl's lockers, so I didn't really have a shortage of clothes or feminine products.. I borrowed money from my friends and sometimes teachers when I needed to go to the store, and hid food that I bought in my lockers. I never paid them back."

"So you became a criminal just to survive.. Your life must have been extremely difficult, to say the least." Ryuzaki stated. "How did you join the NPA?"

"I got a full scholarship for college in Japan. I'd been saving money that I borrowed from friends for four years, which was as long as I lived at the school. I bought an airplane ticket to Japan, graduated college, joined the NPA, and here I am, working on the kira case with you."

"Remarkable." He said. "I certainly admire the hardships you've overcome."

"Thank you." I said. I stood up, walked over to where he was sitting and grabbed the slice of cake he'd promised me. I stabbed the end of the cake with my fork and plopped it into my mouth. I sat down on the floor and continued eating.

"What about you? Am I allowed to ask what your childhood was like?"

"I was raised in an orphanage." I was saddened by that. I couldn't imagine not knowing my parents.

"That must have been tough, I'm sorry I asked-"

"It's fine." He said. I took a bite of the strawberry that I'd saved for last, and then I suddenly felt incredibly exhausted. I looked at the clock, which read 4:38. I ate the last of the strawberry. Ryuzaki went back to typing on the keyboard. The sound was so soothing to me- my eyelids felt like someone was forcing them closed, and I couldn't stay awake much longer. Before I knew It, I was sleeping on the floor next to Ryuzaki's chair.


	3. Chapter 3

-1Chapter 3

_I opened my eyes. Where was I? I couldn't find my blanket anywhere.. And I was cold. I could feel a pounding in my head, it was excruciating. I lifted my hands to my head and ran my fingers through my long and messy brown hair. I stood up from my bed on the tough dirt and looked around. In front of me was a baseball diamond surrounded by lush green grass. My bag of clothes was next to me, on a bench. I grabbed it along with my homework and walked toward the school. The clock in the school read 5:00. I still had time for a shower. I walked into the locker room and opened some girl's locker, grabbing the shampoo and conditioner that I found. I walked into the shower room, got undressed and turned on the shower. It felt wonderful to wash away the dirt and grime that I'd rolled around in in my sleep. If only I could wash away the pain. _

I opened my eyes for the second time. Only this time, I was warm, covered in a blanket, and a pillow was under my head. I looked up to find Ryuzaki in his chair, typing away at his computer. I sat up.

"Did I fall asleep here?" My voice was hoarse from sleep.

"Yes," He replied. "You speak in your sleep."

I could feel a deep shade of red creep onto my face. "Did I say anything.. Embarrassing?"

"You said, 'No, don't touch the cantaloupe.' Is that embarrassing?" He said, looking at me with a small smile on his face.

I laughed. I couldn't help it. It just burst out of me. "I didn't.. (laugh) .. Dream about fruit!"

Ryuzaki's smile got a little bit larger. "Perhaps you're hungry. I can have Watari get you a slice of cake.."

"No, I'm fine." I said. Which was odd, because I don't usually turn down cake.. I walked over to the couch I was sitting on the night before and sat on It, then grabbed my book and started to read again. Light was still sleeping on the other couch, breathing slowly and regularly. He looked so innocent when he slept.. Surely this guy couldn't be capable of murdering hundreds of criminals.

_I can't allow myself to show empathy for a kira suspect. _I thought. I decided to shift my attention toward my book.

_Most people like to see in pictures what they would also like to see in reality. This is quite a natural preference. We all like beauty in nature, and are grateful to the artists who have preserved it in their works. _

_We do not know how art began any more than we know how language started. _

I heard a shuffling noise beside me. Light was waking up. He stretched and yawned dramatically, making odd noises as he sat up and looked at me. "Good morning, Sophia." He said quietly.

"Good morning."

"Ryuzaki," Light said, turning his gaze from me to the detective, "Find anything interesting since last night?"

Ryuzaki sighed. "No… like I said the other day, before you assaulted me, maybe I shouldn't try so hard.." Light looked pretty pissed when he heard that.

"Ryuzaki.." He started.

"Now, now, boys!" I interrupted, closing my book. "Don't start fighting again! Maybe we should take a break from the case for a few hours today! I haven't had much of a chance to check out the beaches around here!"

"That actually sounds like a GREAT idea!" Oh god. That annoying voice again.


	4. Chapter 4

-1Chapter 4 (Ryuzaki's POV, yay!)

"That must have been tough, I'm sorry I asked-"

"It's fine." I interrupted her. I think I've gotten into a habit of interrupting her. I watched her take a bite of the dark red strawberry. A drip of juice from the strawberry lingered on her lip.. I wanted so desperately to kiss her. I turned toward my computer and continued searching for something, _something_ to help me prove that Light was, in fact, Kira. My depression was getting worse by the minute.

"Mmmm…" My thoughts were disturbed by a sleeping Sophia. I looked down from my chair and saw her lying by my chair and facing me, with her knees brought close to her chest. Then she gasped, and quickly covered her face with her hands. I didn't know what to think of it.. '_she must be having a nightmare.' _I thought.

"Don't hit me, I'll leave!" She said loudly. She sounded like she was in pain, and I could see tears beginning to stream from her closed eyes. She was weeping into her hands and hyperventilating.

I got up from my crouched position and grabbed a blanket and pillow from one of the two couches. It surprised me that Light hadn't waken up. I returned to where Sophia was lying and tried to cover her with it, but her legs were kicking at me, making it increasingly difficult to do so. I grabbed her legs and held them together, then covered them with the blanket. She kicked a little more, then seemed to relax to some extent. I lifted her head slowly and placed the pillow underneath, then took her soft, smooth hands and placed them by her sides. She quickly became quiet and snuggled into the blanket.

'_She's been through so much.' _I thought. _'I wonder if she could possibly know that I long for her in such a way that my heart is bursting because of it…'_

_~Morning~_

Sophia Sat up beside me. She looked sort of troubled, and if I could help it, I would try to stop her from being even _more_ troubled.

"Did I fall asleep here?" She asked quietly.

"Yes. You speak in your sleep."

She flushed a deep red. "Did I say anything.. Embarrassing?"

I couldn't tell her that she'd acted so wildly in her sleep-I quickly lied to her as I so often lie to everyone else. "You said, 'No, don't touch the cantaloupe.' Is that embarrassing?" I forced a small smile.

She looked at me for a moment, then laughed sweetly and innocently.

~_Later That Day~ _(Back to Sophia's POV!)

So, I guess Misa's taking Light, Ryuzaki and I to the beach. We packed the usual beach stuff- food, towels, swimsuits, and we piled into Misa's topless car. I wouldn't exactly mind If Misa wasn't coming..

But, she at least tried to be friendly with me today.

"So, um.. Sophie.." She said, "Did you go to the beach often in America?"

"Yes. I lived in Michigan, I was surrounded by water." I said quietly. I couldn't tell If she heard me, but we didn't talk to each other again until we arrived at the beach.

I found it funny that Misa, Light and I all went into our individual stalls to change into our swimsuits, while Ryuzaki just waited for us, as if he didn't intend on swimming. I could change that.

Light and Ryuzaki set up an umbrella and laid out a blanket to sit on, and Light unfolded a beach chair to lay on. Misa looked slightly disappointed that nobody felt like joining her in the water, despite her white bathing suit.

"What, nobody wants to play with me!" She yelled at us.

"Eh, I think I'll swim later. I wanna find some shells!" I stripped out of my camo shorts and green tank top so that I was only in my blue and white checkered bikini, then grabbed a plastic cup and headed toward the shallow water to look for shells. I found several plain looking shells that looked like they were once part of a mussel or a clam, then I came across an odd-looking shell- It was pink and spiraled, and it had eight little spines poking out from all the way around it.

I started walking toward Ryuzaki, who had his thumb in his mouth and was watching two children playing. He had to be the most intelligent man I'd ever met. Maybe he knew something about the shell?

"Ryuzaki!" I yelled. He turned his gaze from the children to me. "Have you ever seen this shell before?" I showed him the pink shell.

"In pictures."

"Good, what's it called? I've never seen anything like this shell, it's so fascinating!"

"It's a guildfordia Yoka."

"I'm gonna keep it." I said. "I love it." I set it by Ryuzaki and decided to go for a swim. "You should come swimming with me, Ryuzaki!"

"Hmm, No thank you, sophie-chan, I didn't pack swimming trunks."

"That doesn't matter." I grabbed his wrist and pulled at it until he stood up. "Nobody will care if you swim in your clothes."

"What if I don't know how to swim?" He asked. I looked at him as if he'd suddenly sprouted another arm.

"That's simple. I'll teach you."

I started pulling Ryuzaki toward the water, pulling Light along, too, seeing as he was bound to Ryuzaki by a long silver chain.

I grabbed Misa's wrist also and said, "Hey, you wanted to swim, right? So let's all swim! We can play ckicken and marco-polo!"

I managed to pull all three into waist-deep water. Ryuzaki didn't look like he enjoyed having his jeans soaked through. I laughed, and splashed him. Misa noticed and instantly slashed me, then Light. Misa totally soaked me. I didn't know she was that good at water fights..

"Okay okay, I surrender!" I threw up my arms in defeat. I looked at the soaked three. "Let's play chicken! The guys are the base. Us girls will sit on their shoulders, and we'll try to push each other down. Last one standing wins!"

"That sounds like fun! I'll sit on Light's shoulders!" Misa yelled.

_Of course.. _I smiled. "Alright, guys.. So.. Let's play?"

"I don't know.. I don't really want to hurt my shoulders.." Light said quietly with his hand scratching the back of his head.

"Light, that girl is five feet tall and 79 pounds. You'll be fine." Ryuzaki said, Pointing at Misa.

"Alright, I guess we can play… but only one game, I need to go work on a tan.."

I laughed. "Yeah, yeah.." I then walked behind Ryuzaki and grabbed his surprisingly toned shoulders, pushing him down so I could sit on him. Misa saw what I was doing, giggled, and did the same with Light. Ryuzaki Lifted me up and kept a tight grip on my thighs, then started waddling through the deep water where Light and Misa were awkwardly struggling to stand.

"Are you guys ready to lose!" Misa yelled at us, beaming with confidence.

"Lose! I NEVER lose!" I retorted. I tapped Ryuzaki's head and yelled, "Charge!"

Light walked toward Ryuzaki and I with Misa screaming and laughing on his shoulders. We all reached each other and Misa grabbed my elbows to brace herself, and I did the same.

"You're going down, little girl!" I yelled, pushing her as hard as I could. She held her own and yelled, "Yeah, right! Light and I won't back down!"

Misa's left hand loosened up when Light started to stumble, and I took advantage of the weak point, grabbing her left arm and pulling her down to the right of me.

They tumbled, and splashed Ryuzaki and I. They both resurfaced, then looked at us, who were still stacked on one another.

"Yay." Ryuzaki said rather unenthusiastically.

"Haha!" I yelled. "Losers! I've never seen anyone lose a game of chicken so badly! You're gonna need weeks to recover from _that_!" Ryuzaki let me down from his shoulder, smiling a little.

"Not fair, I want a rematch!" Misa yelled.

"No way." Light said, walking toward the shore and pulling on the chain connecting him to Ryuzaki. "I need to rest."

"Want a piece of cake?" Ryuzaki said, looking at me with those large dark eyes that got me every time.

"Sure."

We all sat on our picnic blanket under a large beach umbrella, enjoying the smooth and rich strawberry cheesecake that Ryuzaki had packed for the four of us.

I stared at Ryuzaki, who looked adorable with a bit of cheesecake on his upper lip. I then realized- _I couldn't be happier._


	5. Chapter 5

-1Chapter 5

Ryuzaki was repacking the cake and food, whilst Misa and Light were folding the picnic blanket and beach umbrella, putting everything into the trunk of Misa's car. I was standing around, having put my clothes back on, admiring the shell I found earlier. Ryuzaki had called it a guildfordia yoka- I liked how colorful and lively it was. The shell made me feel calm and collected. It sent me into a trance, so much so that I didn't notice Ryuzaki waving his hand in front of my face and calling me.

"Sophia, I really don't think it's okay for you to space out when you're in public. We could have accidentally left you behind, and it would probably have taken you a while to notice." He said.

"Hmm?" I looked at the shell again and started touching the spines. Then I noticed a pale hand reach out and take it from me.

"You can have it back when we get back to headquarters. Get in the car, please." He put the shell in his pocket and pointed toward the car. He smiled at me. It drove the butterflies in my stomach wild. I couldn't help but smile back and laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, but if it's broken when we get back, I'll be really mad at _you_." I playfully threatened. We walked toward Misa's car together. He was really close, and his side brushed by mine, sending an electric shock down my spine, and forcing me to blush madly. I was thankful he didn't seem to notice I was acting so oddly.

We all piled into the car, Misa and I sitting in the front seats, with Ryuzaki and Light in the back seats.

"I'm gonna put on some music!" Misa said to me as we pulled out onto a road. "Do you like pop music?" She asked.

"Depends, I guess.." I answered. Misa turned the dial on her radio so that it was on station 86.3. The music was loud and fast-paced, and the singers were singing so quickly that I could hardly understand them, what with English being my native language. "I don't really like this." I said, reaching out to the dial and turning it to the right, and having the station randomly change to 97.6.

"Ooh, leave it on!" Misa said, "I love this song!" This one's singing was slower, with acoustic guitars playing in the backround. It gave me a slight headache, and I suggested to Misa that we shut it off. She pushed the dial in to turn the music off, and sighed. "Whatever."

I looked in the other direction, and saw a man and woman pushing a stroller around. The child in the stroller had dark brown hair and was smiling at the doll it held. So innocent. I sighed when I lost sight of them.

~_Later~_

I grabbed some fresh clothes that I had in a backpack, pajamas - A black tank top with the logo of an american rock band that I used to like, and some gray gym shorts. I walked into the bathroom and undressed, placed my clothes on the sink, and turned on the shower. I kept the water cool, the headquarters itself was too hot for my liking. I then noticed that I hadn't grabbed a towel before I jumped in.

I turned the faucet so that it was off, then jumped out and opened the bathroom door just enough so that I could poke my head out. Ryuzaki turned in his chair and stared at me blankly. Light was working at his computer.

"Is there.. Anything that you.. Need?" He said slowly. He stared at my damp hair, which was dripping water onto the hard tile floor, making little pitter patter sounds. Light glanced upward, and saw me, then looked back toward his monitor.

"Could you grab a towel for me, Ryuzaki? I forgot to get one.." I said quickly. I noticed that I was blushing again, blood rushing to my face, so I didn't give him a chance to reply and pulled my head back into the bathroom and closed the door. I then jumped back into the shower and turned in on again, hoping it would rinse the red from my face.

A few moments later, someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" I yelled.

The door opened.

"I brought a towel. I'll just set it here and go-" He started.

"Hey, stay here. I wanna talk to someone." I was feeling pretty brave. "You're alone, right?"

"Light's sitting outside the door in the hall."

"Okay." What was I thinking? "Um.. Ryuzaki, do you have a favorite color?"

"No."

"What about a favorite animal?"

"I don't have one. Perhaps you should tell me your favorite things. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue. My favorite animal is the manatee." I smiled. I squirted some strawberry scented shampoo into my hand, and started to rub it into my long and wet light brown hair.

"What smells like strawberries?" Ryuzaki said quickly. "Shampoo?"

I laughed. "Yeah. How do you manage to have such a sweet tooth?"

"It's just how I've always been." He said. "You've got quite a sweet tooth yourself, I've seen how you put seven teaspoons of sugar in your tea." He chuckled quietly.

I laughed again. "I guess you're right." I put conditioner in my hair after rinsing out the shampoo. "Are you happier when you solve cases alone, or when there's people with you?"

Ryuzaki went silent. He seemed like he was giving the question a lot of thought, taking his time to answer.

"I prefer to work alone. I don't like to risk anyone's life but my own, but, seeing as this case will require more than my investigative abilities alone, I'll have to risk more than I usually would. To be honest, I quite enjoy your company."

I blushed madly. I was SO happy he couldn't see my face! "Nobody's really told me that they enjoy my company.." I laughed nervously. "I enjoy your company, too. You're undoubtedly the kindest man I've ever met."

I turned off the shower and stuck my hand out. "Mind passing me that towel?"

He handed me the towel. "Right.. I'll go ahead and leave, then." I heard the door open and close. I wrapped the towel around myself and started to dry off. I put on my tank top, then my shorts. I grabbed the towel and left the bathroom to sit on a couch next to Matsuda and Misa. I started to towel off my hair. I stared at Ryuzaki, whom was currently facing his computer, and I couldn't help but think-

_Did he really mean it when he said that he enjoyed my company?_


	6. Chapter 6

-1Chapter 6

Matsuda was reporting the names of several kira victims-it was beginning to become a routine for him. I stood by a window, looking down on the city and rubbing my hair with the towel, listening to him list the countless names of criminals from various countries around the world. Currently, Matsuda was naming victims from America.

"Aaron Abelardo, 27 years old, of Utah. Vincent Fairfax, 48 years old, of New York. Keith Richards, 35 years old, of New Jersey." I sighed. _When will it all end? _I thought. _When will Kira be caught?_

"Ian Ignatius, 26 years old, of Mississippi, and lastly, Anthony Galeener, 28 years old, of Michigan. That's all, Ryuzaki." I looked at Matsuda with evident shock on my face, my mouth was gaping and my eyes were wide open. I dropped the towel I had been using on my hair. I didn't want to- in fact, I refused to feel upset for the loss of my brother. I shut my mouth and picked up the towel.

"Thank you. I'm sure that's all I'll be needing you for tonight. You, Yagami-san, Ide-san, Aizawa-san, and Mogi-san can all go home. As for Light, I'll be taking the hand-cuffs off for tonight, but you'll be staying in the building under constant surveillance." Light looked a little shocked, and so did the others.

"If you're letting my son off the hand-cuffs, does that mean suspicions of my son have been cleared?" Chief Yagami asked, rather, yelled.

"No. Everyone needs a break from Light for at least _one _night." He joked, pulling a key from his pocket, setting Light and himself free. I was the only one to quietly laugh. At the moment, I didn't care about Light Yagami. I looked back out the window, staring at the dark and starless city sky. The moon looked so lonely.. It felt as if the moon knew exactly how I felt when I was in high school, all of those cold and lonely nights in the dug out, surrounded by darkness.. I feel now that I wasn't really alone all those nights, but the moon was right there with me, sighing every time I sighed, and crying every time I cried. Yes, the moon knew exactly how I felt.

The team of police officers filed out the door- undoubtedly returning to their families. I wondered how many nights each of their wives had slept alone in their spacious beds, hoping their loved ones would just return to them safely..

Misa grabbed Light by the wrist and started dragging him upstairs, who bid Ryuzaki and I good night. I left my towel on the floor by the window and sat on a couch, not caring about it anymore. I had other things on my mind.

_Like Anthony, for instance_.

I needed to let go of my bottled up feelings. I needed to let go of my anger, and my hurt. Much to my disdain, I started to cry. It was the last thing I wanted to do. I started crying loudly, and I sobbed, even. It was loud enough to gain Ryuzaki's attention, who turned in his chair, to look at me in my embarrassing state, my eyes red and puffy and my cheeks stained with salty tears.

"Sophia, what's wrong?" He questioned. "Why are you crying?" I couldn't reply. The lump in my throat was so big that I couldn't speak. More tears spilled over, and I began to sob even louder. I grabbed a pillow and hugged it to my chest, bringing my feet up the rest on the couch to the left of me. The best response I could muster was a simple shake of my head. I averted my gaze from his probing ebony eyes and looked out the window to the right of me, admiring a pale white moon. That lonely white moon.

I felt the depression of the couch cushion to the left of me. I couldn't look at the raven-haired man sitting next to me. It would make me sob even more to see that _someone_ in this big, lonely world was concerned for my emotional health.

"Sophia." He reached a hand toward my head and pulled my face to the left, so I was looking directly at him. He held the other side of my face with his right hand. As if holding me that way would make me speak.. He was making my heart start to beat hard, despite the crushing effect that my sadness had on it. "Speak, Sophia."

I sobbed again, and shut my eyes. It was so hard to utter a single word without causing the pain to rip right through me.

"Anthony was.. My brother." Ryuzaki looked at me with sadness spread across his face. I dropped my pillow on the floor and turned to face him. I then pushed his knees away from his chest so that his feet were on the floor, and laid my head on his lap. I buried my face into his shirt and started to sob again. He rubbed my back soothingly with one hand, and ran the fingers of the other through my messy hair. I felt so safe and warm in such close proximity to him. My heart rate started to slow down, and I felt comfortable.

It seemed like I laid there in Ryuzaki's lap for hours, crying quietly and sniffling every so often, until the tears finally began to let up. I was feeling drowsy, and I wanted to sleep. I looked up at his pale face. He was incredibly handsome. I made a mental note to admire him more often.

"I'll bet you don't enjoy my company anymore.." I laughed half-heartedly.

"Nonsense."

I turned my gaze from his face back to his shirt, which was soaked. "You know," I said quietly. "I don't want to cry about my brother's death. I'm so weak.."

"Nonsense." He said again.

"Really, I am." I started again. "I shouldn't be crying. I should be happy. For years, all I've thought about is how much I hate him, and how my life would be better if he weren't around, but I was wrong. He's my brother, after all, and I'll always love him, regardless of whether or not he loves me back." I started to choke on my words, feeling the tears coming back. I tried my best to fight them, but it was a fight I couldn't win. The tears came. "I.. owe him a lot."

"What could you possibly owe that man?" Ryuzaki looked down at my face and wiped some tears away from my red cheeks.

"My brother was a delinquent, he got into all sorts of illegal activities and thought nothing of it.. It was because of him that I sought a career in law enforcement. It was because of him that I wanted to put criminals behind bars, so that no one would have to endure the pain that I feel. It's because of him that I'm right here, right now. I owe him for that."

"Is that so?"

My mind was exhausted. I wrapped my arms around his waist without thinking, nuzzling into his soft stomach, closing my eyes, and I took in his sweet scent. I felt so much better now that all the agony that I'd kept bottled up inside me for years was gone. I suddenly thought of the dream I'd had the night before. '_If only I could wash away the pain.'_

I mumbled against his stomach, "I'd never thought that I would be able to rid myself of all that pain."

Ryuzaki didn't say anything. He just rubbed my back again, making me feel relaxed and calm.

_This is how I'm supposed to feel. Relaxed and calm…_

I inhaled his sweet scent again. His scent only added to my comfort, making me even more drowsy. My active imagination, full of strawberries and a smiling Ryuzaki's scent, started to fade into blackness as my consciousness faded along with it.

_Relaxed and calm.._


	7. Chapter 7

-1Chapter 7

I awoke to find a pillow under my head and a blanket covering my legs and half of my torso. Despite the blanket, I felt cold and there was definitely something missing. Rather, someone.

I groaned, slowly sitting up and stretching my arms as far as they could stretch. I had a bad crook in my neck; I must have been sleeping in an awkward position.

"Ah, Miss Sophia, I see you're awake. Would you like some tea?" A familiar voice. I smiled at the small white-haired man, who was standing near the corner of the room where there was a table covered with things to make the investigation team more comfortable-tea, coffee, doughnuts. Watari was one of those men that you could meet and instantly take a liking to; He felt like a loving grandfather to me.

"Yes, please. You're too kind to me, Watari." He nodded in silence, like he did all-too-often. He handed me the steaming cup of black tea, and I carefully walked over to Ryuzaki's computer desk, making sure not to spill it. There was bound to be sugar for my tea _somewhere _around there.

I found a jar full of sugar and added seven teaspoonfuls of it to my tea. I remembered Ryuzaki's observation about me.. He'd noticed just how much sugar I like in my tea. Blowing on it, I carefully sipped it, fearing that it would burn my lips and tongue.

I took a moment to glance around the room, realizing that Watari and I were the only ones there. I glanced at the clock on the wall to the right of me, which read 11:04. I didn't understand why the team wasn't here.

_Why do I always miss something important when I sleep? _I thought. I took a mental note to yell at Ryuzaki for letting me sleep in…

"Watari.." I said slowly, staring at the couch I'd slept on, the silky yellow pillow having fallen off while I was sitting up, in it's resting place on the floor.

"Yes, Miss Sophia?" He stopped flipping through files and looked at me with curiosity.

"Where is everyone?" I took another cautious sip of my tea. It was extremely hot.. I ended up burning my tongue, so I blew on it again.

"Everyone is on the bottom floor of the building. Ryuzaki requested that I stay behind with you until you woke up. I believe he is on his way up as we speak." He looked toward the room's entrance, and I followed his gaze to see Ryuzaki enter the room along with the investigation team along with Light, whom was connected to Ryuzaki once again. I quickly made my way over to a chair beside the couch, sitting on it and staring at the group. I picked up my _Story of Art _Book and started to read. It had been a while since I'd last read from it.

Ryuzaki sat at his computer in his awkward sitting position- I wondered how he could possibly sit that way for hours on end and not have any problems with walking. My mind flashed back to the night before, blushing at the thought of how uncomfortable I must have made him with my sudden breakdown. I sent him an apologetic look, but he sent me a confused look back.

I forgot all about it when two people entered the room. They obviously weren't Asian.

"Who are they?" Matsuda asked Ryuzaki. Light piped in, "Hold on a second, who let them in?"

"Those two are the newest members of the task force," Ryuzaki responded. _Newest members? _I mentally questioned him.

The man, tall and blond, said to the group, "The name's Aiber. I'm a con-man. How's it going?" He was wearing a pin-stripe suit, which looked like it was from a well-known designer, along with a striped shirt that matched it well. He seemed very smooth, and his appearance was very befitting of his career. Like the typical con-artist you'd see in movies.

The woman, also blond, was walking beside him, wearing a checkered jacket and skirt, and sunglasses to cover her eyes. I had to suppress a giggle as I stared at her giant black faux fur hat. "I'm Wedy," she said, she had a sharp tone and spoke quickly. "And I'm a thief by trade."

Mr. Yagami didn't seem pleased at all to have these two joining the task force. "Oh, a con-man and a thief."

"That's right." Ryuzaki said to Mr. Yagami, standing now. "Aiber is a life-long con-man. His unparalleled social-skills allow him to befriend and gain the trust of any target." _My ass.. _I thought, and laughed to myself. _These two are pretty amusing. _I took another sip of my tea- it had cooled down dramatically since I was distracted by the newcomers. "We'll use him for infiltration. As for Wedy, she's a thief who specializes in cracking high-end security systems. As proof of that, she was able to enter the building without setting off a single alarm."

Nope, Chief Yagami was definitely NOT pleased. "You expect us to work with criminals?" He asked.

"Yes, that is correct. However, these two have never been caught, so it's unlikely they'll be killed by kira. Think of them as professionals of the underworld."

"I understand," Light butted into the conversation. "To investigate Yostuba, we're gonna need the help of people like this. Let's all do our part and make this happen, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah.." I muttered. I must have said that loud enough for the man, Aiber, to hear, because he started walking towards me. I peered at him over my book. He reached where I was sitting, and grabbed my hand.

"Ryuzaki, You never told me that there would be such a beautiful young lady here! I would have made myself look much more presentable." Ryuzaki shot me a worried look when Aiber kissed my hand. _wait… _I thought. _He just kissed my hand.. _

I pulled my hand away, and laughed as naturally as I could. _Don't fall for any tricks. _I warned myself. _He's not a professional con-man for nothing.. _

"Save the act for some dumb woman, Aiber. I'm not easily charmed. And don't try to talk me into giving you anything, I won't stand for being swindled." Ryuzaki Smiled at that, and Aiber seemed to get a real kick out of my reaction to his kiss.

"What's your name, intelligent young woman?" He Sat down on the couch next to me. Ryuzaki stood beside me, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and awkwardly fit himself into the conversation. Not that I minded.

"Her name is Sophia." He answered Aiber's question. "She used to work with the NPA alongside Chief Yagami-san and the others."

"That's a nice name," Aiber said, leaning toward me. My eyes widened a little. '_I feel pretty uncomfortable…' _I guess I sort of wanted Ryuzaki to read my mind and help me find a way out of the conversation, but, of course, he couldn't possibly read my mind.. "Where are you from? America? I feel like I've met you before." He leaned even closer now. He was getting into my face, making me sweat from nervousness.

'_Ugh! Quit it, Sophia! You're so easy to manipulate..' _I tried to find a way to get the guy to ease up a little bit. So, I brought out the brave side in me. I brought my right index finger and put it to his forehead, pushing him back.

"Like I said before, Mr. Aiber, I'm not a dumb woman. We both know we've never met before."

He laughed, and Ryuzaki chuckled a little. Listening to Ryuzaki's laughter I couldn't help but smile at him and laugh a little myself. Aiber wasn't so bad.

"I think you and I will end up being good friends." He stated. I agreed with him, mentally.

"Working with you wouldn't be pleasant if we didn't get along."

(A/N) **Sorry I haven't updated in a few days.. It takes a while to come up with good ideas! And sorry if it jumped from totally fiction to serious mode so suddenly.. I tend to do that a lot. Please Rate and Review! **


	8. Chapter 8

-1Chapter 8

It had gotten pretty late- I stayed up investigating Yostuba members on a laptop that Ryuzaki had lent me. Getting tired, I saved my progress to an untraceable file and closed it. I set the device on the coffee table, standing and walking toward the small table in the corner of the room to help myself to another cup of tea, adding seven teaspoons of sugar, like usual. I turned toward my seat, spotting Light, curled up and already sleeping where I was sitting not ten minutes ago.

Any other spot to rest was taken- Aiber was sleeping on the couch, with Wedy, who was sleeping with a pillow and blanket on the floor next to him. They'd played a card game earlier, betting on all sorts of things. There was no doubt in my mind that Aiber had cheated Wedy out of a good sleeping spot. Matsuda was sleeping on the chair on the opposite side of the couch. He'd stayed later than the other task force members to help more, only to fall asleep mere minutes after they left. Watari was probably somewhere in the building; It was almost impossible for me to imagine where he went when he wasn't here, catering to Ryuzaki's needs.

Whom was currently sitting at his desk, which he rarely left. I slowly walked toward his desk, taking a few minutes to reach it. I was drowsy. I sat my cup of tea next to him, then sat down on the floor.

'_If I have to sit on the floor,'_ I thought, _'I might as well sit next to the person I like the-' _

I was interrupted by Ryuzaki, leaning toward me from his seat. "Sophia, are you going to sleep there again?"

I looked up at him, with one eye closed, and the other drooping. My head started to pound with the sleep draining my body of any energy. I grabbed my tea from the desk, determined to open my eyes, and drank to whole cup, despite the burning sensation that filled my mouth and throat. My eyes teared up from the pain, and I looked at Ryuzaki again.

"Nope, I was just… resting my eyes for a moment.." My eyes started to droop again, the tea having no immediate effect on me.

Ryuzaki raised an eyebrow at my sudden action, and slowly gave me a small smile. My heart started to pound at the sight of that beautiful smile, and I blushed, wondered if his smile might have had a more awakening effect than the tea.

He stood up, And walked into another room; I was sad to see him go, only to see him return a moment later with a pillow and blanket.

"Here." He awkwardly held them with his thumbs and index fingers, indicating that I should take them. I grabbed them, muttering a 'thank you'. He sat down, and went back to typing on his keyboard, the clacking starting to get to me. Only a few nights earlier, I'd found the noise to be soothing, but this night, however, the sound was rigid and quick, making my temples pound with every single click. I tried my best to ignore it, placing the pillow behind my head, and spreading the blanket around my legs, pulling the end of it underneath my feet so that they'd get a chance to warm up. I laughed quietly, staring at my wrapped up feet with warmth in my face. I could really feel the nostalgia.

"What's funny?" I looked upwards to spot Ryuzaki staring right back at me.

It felt like my heart was melting, looking at his face. His skin was pale and perfect, not disturbed by a single blemish, his eyes dark and insightful. It felt like he could hear every thought I had, and feel any emotion I felt. His lips were thin, but soft.

"I was thinking of my mother. She used to complain about how cold my feet always are." I smiled, wondering if his feet ever got as cold as mine.

'_They're probably colder..' _I laughed quietly again, trying my best not to disturb the sleeping others.

"I could warm them up for you," He said. I blushed, confusion as clear as daylight on my face. "I'm great at giving massages." He stood from his chair, and crouched by my feet, gently tugging the blanket away from them. It felt like my face was on fire, my heart speeding, and palms becoming sweaty. I really didn't understand how the touch of a man could make my body act up so badly. Ryuzaki stared at my face, smiling, as if he was ecstatic to see my expression change from confusion to redness from emotion.

His long, slender fingers wrapped around my right foot, his thumb rubbing the bottom of it softly, but not so softly that it tickled.

"Careful," I whispered, "I'm really ticklish." I chuckled, averting my gaze from his eyes, which had shifted from being sharp and observant to soft and gentle. The rubbing stopped, causing me to look back at him.

"Something wrong?" I said quietly.

"You painted your nails black?" He was staring at my toes. I laughed quietly, wiggling my big toe.

"Misa." I said, hoping that would be enough for him to guess that she'd forced the polish onto my toe nails, demanding that I make my feet look more feminine.

Ryuzaki laughed quietly, setting my foot down on the blanket and picking up the left one.

"That's one of the reasons why I refused to stay in the same room with her." I laughed. "That girl is insane."

"It's not like I'd prefer that you stay with her." Ryuzaki murmured, causing me to become quiet. "If Misa were in fact the second kira, I wouldn't want you on the same floor as her, let alone in the same room."

I curled my toes, disturbing the circular motion of his fingers on them, and Ryuzaki looked up at me.

"Why do you do that?" I asked, raising a hand and running my fingers through my hair. I looked at him for a moment longer. My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, my brave side screaming to come out. "Why do you say things that make me love you?"

Ryuzaki's eyes widened, his mouth opening slowly in astonishment, and I blushed like mad, contemplating the words that had forced themselves from my mind and into the open.

I heard a ruffling sound in the room, commanding both mine and Ryuzaki's attention. Aiber turned on his side to face the two of us, eyes wide open, and smiled.

"I knew there was a reason why you were so mean to me today." He laughed. "Why don't you two kiss already?"

For the millionth time that night, I blushed. Ryuzaki turned to me, ignoring Aiber. "Would you like to continue our conversation at another time?"

It was hardly there, but I could see it- Ryuzaki had a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. I nodded, and Ryuzaki set down my foot, covering them with the blanket, and returned to his seat. I glared at Aiber, sending him all sorts of angry looks, all to which he responded by smiling and shrugging. I rested my head against my pillow, turning so that I was facing Ryuzaki's chair. I began to feel tired again, the adrenaline from his touch slowly wearing off.

My feet felt warm.

**(A/N) Again, sorry I haven't posted in a while! :D But I'll make it up to all my readers, I swear! For your pleasure, I've drawn Ryuzaki and Sophia and posted them on another website. I'll have a link to it on my profile page. Be sure to leave a review if you like it!**


	9. Chapter 9

-1Chapter 9

It had been five days since I'd told Ryuzaki that I love him.

Our interactions since then had been brief. I felt like I had made him feel uncomfortable. I was quickly losing hope that he could possibly feel the way about me that I felt about him.

Ryuzaki was busy getting Matsuda out of a whole mess of trouble that he'd gotten himself into. He'd been caught eavesdropping on some Yotsuba members, separated from Misa. I stood by Ryuzaki's desk like the other task force members, listening intently to what was going on.

I was worried sick about Matsuda. He was everything I would want from a brother, a great friend who could relieve any tension in a room with his antics. I wished he was here instead. The room could use some humor.

"Don't tell me your wallet's _in trouble_ again!" Ryuzaki was talking to Matsuda on a cell phone. He listened for a while longer, then covered the speaker and said to us, "Matsuda's alone and in trouble."

"What are we going to do?" I was panicking, biting on my nails. I kept imagining how many horrible things could happen to poor Matsuda.

Ryuzaki grabbed an extra phone that was lying on his desk and dialed a number. Lifting it to his ear, "Watari, I'll need an ambulance" He turned to Aiber and Wedy. "I will also require your assistance."

Hanging up both phones, Ryuzaki stood up and walked toward the door, pulling Light along with him. What he was going to do, I had no idea. Everyone followed them out of the room, so I quickly slipped on my blue flip-flops and caught up to them in the hallway. Ryuzaki turned when he heard the loud clapping of my flip-flops, yanking Light's arm in the process. I stopped walking, nearly running into him.

"Sophia, this could be dangerous. Please stay here." He turned back around, and resumed walking with the others.

"But.." I tried to protest, but everyone had fit themselves into an elevator and were gone. I was filled with hurt, and anger.

Ryuzaki had rendered me unable to help save one of my best friends, and it frustrated me.

I sighed, and walked back to the room, dragging my feet as I went.

~Later~

I stared at the tea I'd just made. It sat next to a slice of strawberry cheesecake I'd just prepared for myself. I'd only gotten them to preoccupy myself. I couldn't eat them if I wanted to, my worrying was drastically effecting my appetite. So they just sat there, untouched, while I sat on the couch and stared at them.

Everyone I cared about were risking their lives to save Matsuda, and where was I?

'_Sitting around, staring at food, and feeling useless…"_

My thoughts were interrupted by a clicking noise, which startled me, as I was used to the quiet and loneliness having been alone for the good part of three hours. I looked toward the door to the left of me, and to my astonishment, Matsuda walked through it.

I gasped, then stood, running over to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as I could.

"Matsuda! You're not hurt, are you? You're alright? I was worried sick!" I held him by the shoulders, then grabbed his hair, checking him over.

I became totally serious, giving him a stern look. "Don't _ever _do anything that stupid again!" I felt like a mother scolding her misbehaving child.

He laughed, unthreatened by me. "I'm fine, Sophie, really." he smiled, rubbing the back of his head.

Everyone else entered the room, sighing and sitting down. Light was the last to enter the room, looking at me, with his chain still hanging through the door. "Ryuzaki wants to speak with you."

For a moment, I was slightly confused. I left Matsuda and stepped out the door, with Light staring after me. I closed the door as much as the chain would allow, attempting to keep light from hearing our conversation.

Ryuzaki looked upset, leaning on the wall to the right of the door. I knew what he wanted to talk about, and I dreaded it, expecting the worst.

I wanted him to smile, but he wouldn't.

"There's no easy way to say this, Sophia." He spoke slowly, each word full of unease.

I frowned. _'He doesn't love me back…"_

"Am I not intelligent enough for you?" He separated himself from the wall. "Not attractive enough? Not-"

Ryuzaki cut me off, holding both sides of my face with his long, slender hands. His eyes were soft, and he stared deeply into mine. He lowered his head to my level, and gently pressed his lips against mine, sending an electric shock down my spine.

My cheeks turned red, and my eyes closed as I melted into the sweet kiss. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him, and I ran my fingers through his long, dark hair. He pulled away for a second, like he was going to say something, only to kiss me again and again, making my heart skip a beat each time.

Savoring the feel of his lips against mine for just a moment longer, I did something I knew I'd regret.

I brought my hands to Ryuzaki's chest, and pushed him back a bit. He sent me a confused look, keeping his hands on my sides. I probably looked slightly angry. In fact, I was angry.

"Why are you so confusing?" I realized I was yelling, and lowered my voice. "First you're rejecting me, and now you're kissing me?" I could feel my throat tighten with sadness. "Don't kiss me if you don't love me." I whispered.

Ryuzaki didn't look confused anymore, but I still was. His expression softened.

"I love you, Sophia," He said slowly. My heart flipped, and I blushed. "But you shouldn't love me. I'm constantly working, and I risk my life every day. I wouldn't be able to make you happy.. You can't have a stable life with me."

'_What's he thinking?" _I thought. My emotions were getting the best of me, like usual.

"I lived in a dugout for _four_ years!" I was getting mad at him. "A life with you would be as stable as it gets for me!"

His hands left my sides and gripped my shoulders roughly. He was stronger than he seemed.

"I won't stand for risking your life as well as mine, Sophia. This discussion is over." His voice was full of anger. I found that, with each word he uttered, I grew more and more frustrated. Tears started to well up in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

I put my cold hands over his warm ones, squeezing them, and pulled them off my shoulders. "You're so stubborn!" I shouted at him.

And them I stormed down the hall, headed toward the stairs that led to the roof. I needed to be alone, but more importantly, I needed to think.


	10. Chapter 10

-1Chapter 10

A good forty minutes had passed since I'd fought with Ryuzaki, and I was still crying. I sat on a ledge, staring at the moon. My lonely moon, bright and orange. I brought my hand up to my eyes and wiped away a few tears.

I suddenly shivered, feeling the cold night air creep into my bones. I was only wearing a green tank top and dark blue shorts. I ignored the urge to go in and change into warmer clothes. I didn't want to have to face Ryuzaki.

I sighed. I'd finally stopped crying. Looking, down, I observed every car that passed by. They looked like ants, they were so far down.. I was glad I wasn't afraid of heights.

Most people wouldn't notice, but there's a lot of beauty to be found in cities. If one could look past all of the impurities, they could see it; In my opinion, lit up windows of skyscrapers could substitute for stars and be almost as beautiful.

"Be careful." The voice jerked me out of my thoughts, making me shake. I threw my arms out, trying to balance myself, when two long arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me backwards. I landed with a thud on something soft. Trying to figure out what was going on, I frantically looked at my surroundings. On both sides of my hips were bent legs covered in jeans.

I flipped myself over so that I was on my stomach. Lying beneath me was Ryuzaki. To my surprise, Light wasn't anywhere to be found.

'_Not that I mind…' _

I blushed, noticing that my hips were on top of his. Ryuzaki smiled, probably guessing what was on my mind, and wrapped his left arm around my waist, using the right one to prop his head up. He squeezed my hips with his thighs, making me blush more.

'_Why am I blushing? I'm supposed to be mad at him!' _I thought. _'knock it off, Sophie!"_

"What do you want, anyways?" I said sourly, hoping to get the point across that I was still upset. "I'm not going to thank you for pulling me down from the ledge, seeing as you're the one who nearly scared me off of it."

I'd meant that as a joke, but he frowned.

"I came to apologize. I didn't mean to make you cry, but you need to understand that my life is far too risky and complicated for a relationship." I frowned back.

"I never thought I'd say this, Ryuzaki, but you're being feeble-minded." He looked confused. "I could be with an abusive drunk who would come home from the bar and beat me every night. Would you want that to happen to me?"

"Never." He looked away, I could tell he was imagining the endless bad things that could happen to me. He shook his head, as if that were the only way he could clear his mind. "I'm no good for you, Sophia, This case could kill me. If it did, you'd be devastated."

I felt tears well up in my eyes again, and they spilled over, quickly covering my face.

"Quit it!" I yelled at him. Tears fell from my face and landed on his clean, white shirt. "Don't you see that you devastate me every time you try to push me away?"

Ryuzaki sat up, still holding me in his arms, and positioned himself so that his legs were somewhat wrapped around me. I had my arms crossed, and my face was red, covered in tears.

"I've never thought about it that way, Sophia. I'm sorry. I desperately long to be with you, also." I looked into his eyes, which were soft-looking and full of concern. I wiped my own eyes with my left hand, grabbing his shirt with the other. I brought my lips close to his ear.

"Be with me, then." I whispered. I kissed his cheek tenderly, and stared at him, meeting his gaze. "I love you."

"I love you." He cupped my face in his hands for the second time that day, and brought his lips to mine. My eyelids flickered shut as his did, and he ran his fingers through my hair.

His lips left mine, only to move to my neck, then my collarbone, sending shivers down my spine and making me gasp. I laughed nervously.

"Ryuzaki, what are you doing?" His hair brushed up against my almost bare chest, giving me goosebumps.

"Something.." He kissed my collarbone. "..I've wanted to do.." Then my neck. "..For a long time." His eyes met mine, and he kissed my lips with so much passion that it felt like my heart was bursting.

**(A/N) Sorry it's so short! :D I've been writing more than usual today.. (Ooeeoo, passionate Ryuzaki!)**


	11. Chapter 11

-1Chapter 11

I felt oddly uncomfortable as I woke up alone, wrapped up in white, billowy blankets. What material they were made of, I couldn't tell. I sat up. I was sitting on a large bed in the middle of a giant, empty-feeling room. Near the edge of the bed was a small wooden nightstand; sitting on top of it was a piece of strawberry cheesecake. My stomach growled at the sight of it, and I craved it like mad.

Crawling across the bed, I picked up the cheesecake. There was no doubt in my mind who had left it for me. I glanced at the nightstand, noticing a piece of folded paper where the plate had been. My curiosity getting the best of me, I set down the cheesecake and picked up the paper, slowly unfolding it.

"_Sophia-" _The handwriting was neat. _"Bringing your comfort and safety into consideration, I've decided to give you your own room on another floor. Some new clothes, along with your old ones, have been moved into your closet. If there is anything else you need, please let me know. -Ryuzaki"_

'My comfort? How can I be comfortable on a whole different floor from him?' The note seemed cold, and formal. 'I thought he loved me..' I frowned, and pushed the thought into an imaginary file cabinet in the back of my mind.

Tossing the note onto the bed, I stood up and sleepily walked over to the closet. After sliding open the closet door, my jaw dropped as I took in the size of it. It was nearly half the size of my bedroom. The walls were a pastel blue color, with two chairs in one corner, and a full-body mirror in the other. The mirror had a wooden frame with roses carved into it.

On one side of the closet, there was a rack with an assortment of clothes hanging on it. There were a few sundresses, with prints that varied from flowers to palm trees to colorful fish. Underneath the clothes were several pairs of flip-flops; I'd told Ryuzaki once before about my dislike of shoes being the reason for flip-flops being the only footwear I owned.

On the other side of the closet, there were some drawers. Opening one, I chuckled at the sight of a small pair of white panties, covered in strawberries. I grabbed those, and found a matching bra in the drawer next to it. Finding a green tank-top with red flowers and some baggy white shorts, I left the bedroom in search of a bathroom. This floor was confusing, and it looked nothing like the place I was used to living in; It was hard to believe I was even in the same building. Finding the bathroom, I quickly showered and got dressed.

After roaming the halls of the floor for what seemed like another hour, I found and elevator and went to the main floor. Upon entering the room, I was greeted by Ryuzaki, Light, Aiber, and Wedy.

"Good morning," I mumbled. "Where's everyone else?"

"Taking the morning off." Ryuzaki said quietly, keeping his focus on his computer, "I hope you found your new room to your liking." For the first time in a long time, he seemed tired.

Light was focused on his computer also, while Aiber and Wedy played a card game on the coffee table.

I walked slowly toward the window, which was on the other side of the room. The sun was just coming up over the trees, filling the sky with a brilliant orange and pink color. The leaves had turned red, orange, and yellow in what seemed like only a few days. I opened the window, and a gust of cool air swept my damp hair back as it burst into the room. My nose was filled with the scent of leaves. It reminded me of home.

"Sophie, Come on, close the window! It's getting cold in here!" Aiber set down his cards and frowned at me. It was difficult to close the window with the wind blowing against it, but I eventually got it closed.

"Oh, you big baby." I said playfully. "You need to learn to appreciate nature." I smiled. Then, I got a spectacular idea. Running to the door, I slipped on the colorful flip-flops I'd left here the night before.

"Where are you going?" Ryuzaki asked quietly, looking away from his computer to gaze and me. He looked more tired than usual, if it were possible.

"To the park, to enjoy this beautiful autumn morning!" I was excited, smiling at him. "Do you want to come with me?"

He turned to glance at Light, who was ignoring our conversation and going through files on his computer. It irked me that most of Ryuzaki's actions depended on what Light was up to. I'd known that most of the task force members sympathized with Chief Yagami, and thought he was innocent, but I agreed with Ryuzaki's suspicions.. The 18-year-old gave me a bad feeling, and my intuition convinced me that trusting him could be a deadly mistake.

"Sorry, Sophia." Ryuzaki's eyelids were drooping, and he looked exhausted. "Please take a sweater."

'way to put a damper on my good mood, Light..' I frowned. "I'll be fine." I left the room, closing the door behind me.

A block away from headquarters, I entered a bakery that I visited often before the Kira case. Yumi, the owner, handed me two loaves of bread that had gone stale. Yumi had gracefully grown old over the past four years.

"I don't see you much anymore, Sophie. Is there something wrong?" Yumi looked concerned, her voice was soft.

"I'm fine, Yumi," I smiled. "I've just been caught up in work lately. Thanks for the bread." She smiled and waved 'goodbye' as I left, headed for the park.

At the park, I sat on a bench near the pond. I did this every once in a while, and the ducks recognized me, swimming toward the edge of the lake, waiting for me to toss some crumbs.

'They'll be leaving for warmer weather soon..' I thought.

~L's POV~

It had been three hours since Sophia had left for the park, and I was becoming restless, any trace of sleepiness leaving my body. She wasn't wearing the belt Watari had given the task force members, and I doubt she'd had her cell phone on her. I was pacing near my computer, agitating Light when I occasionally tugged the chain, pulling his hand away from his keyboard. A black 'W' appeared on the monitor.

"Ryuzaki, A note has been collected from the NPA, regarding Miss Sophia. I'm sending it to you now."

"Thank you, Watari." I quickly sat down in my chair, ignoring the candy that littered my desk. Opening the file that contained the note, I was eager to read it, hoping for a hint as to where Sophia was.

'_If the NPA doesn't give me, Suzuki Yamanaka, three million dollars, the girl will die. Have the money at the Ohta train station in two days at 7P.M.'_

~Sophia's POV~

This room was cold. I couldn't see anything, as a large piece of cloth was tightly tied over my eyes. My wrists were tied together behind my back; the rope around them was rough and itchy, and I couldn't reach it. I was sitting on a hard concrete floor, with my back in a corner. My legs were bent and in front of me, my ankles bound by the same rough rope used on my wrists.

Someone had been jabbing at my mouth with some form of food every five minutes for the past hour, but I refused to eat it.

"Eat, bitch!" The voice was loud and very masculine, and I imagined it coming from a large, hairy man, about thirty-five years of age. I turned my head away, hoping he'd leave me be. Instead, he grabbed my chin, and tried to force the food into my mouth. I kept my mouth closed, fearing it was either drugged, or rotten. It certainly smelt rotten.

"Bruce, for god's sake, leave her alone." The man stopped at the other man's command. This other man sounded less masculine, like he was calm and collected. "If she wants to starve, let her starve. Either way, we'll get our money, and I'll split it with you fifty-fifty, like I promised."

I spit and the ground, hoping to get the food away from my mouth, and rubbed my face against my knees, probably staining the white shorts with whatever food he'd tried to feed me.

This behaviour of mine had become routine, as I had been refusing to eat or use the restroom for the past day and a half. My stomach felt as if someone had it in a vice, and I had to go to the bathroom so badly that I was beginning to feel sick; If I didn't get out of this place, I feared that I'd die soon.

Where were my fellow team members? Didn't they know I was missing? Why didn't anyone in the park notice the brute drag me into a van? Would anyone try to save me..?

'Ryuzaki would..' The thought helped to strengthen my resolve. I sighed. My eye was throbbing where someone had struck me, my stomach aching with the combined pressure from the need to eat. I sighed, My breath was shaky. I'd never felt such prolonged pain.

The pain dragged on for what seemed like several hours, until the brute- Bruce, that was his name- Picked me up by my wrists and slung me over his shoulder. I tried to squirm, I couldn't imagine what horrible place they'd move me to. I stopped as soon as I felt a crippling pain in my side, where Bruce had punched me.

The pain was getting to me; I broke out into tears, but I kept myself quiet, in fear of what my kidnapper might do. Moments later, I was tossed onto what seemed like two leather seats. It was the most comfortable thing I'd felt in two days.

"Hey, Suzuki, how exactly are we going to pull this off, anyways?" I heard an engine start.

"Listen, Bruce. We'll get her there, and you'll let me do all the talking. As soon as we're paid, we'll high-tail it out of there and go back to the hide-out. We'll split the money, then go our separate ways. If I ever need your help with another heist like this, I'll let you know." Suzuki was the calm and collected one, I decided, and I soon realized I was being held ransom. I felt so used and helpless.

After about thirty minutes of what I thought was riding in a car, I was pulled away from my comfort, the leather seats, and forced down a flight of stairs. There was a gunshot, and I jumped. Bruce made me sit on the floor, and I heard several screams in reaction to the shot. I was somewhere public, in daylight, and I wasn't even aloud to see where I was. I was filled with sadness, as I just sat there, pulling my knees to my chest, filled with self-pity.

"Shut up, and stay here, woman." Bruce roughly threw my arms down, and I did as he told me to- he was armed and dangerous, a force not to be reckoned with.

Moments later, I heard the sound of windows breaking. I tried to curl into a ball, hiding my face, but I still felt small shards of glass hit my back. I gasped, feeling some of the shards cut into my skin.

"Suzuki, this isn't going as planned!" Bruce's rough voice sounded shrill now, and I could tell he was panicking, even if I couldn't see him. I heard several gunshots, And boots hitting the hard concrete. An engine started somewhere, and there were several screeching noises.

I screamed when someone grabbed my shoulders. I kicked my bound feet out, and tried to scoot away, only to have someone tug the cloth away from my face. The man standing before me was Matsuda. I'd expected someone to harm me, but it was my friend. I smiled, crying tears of joy, and hugged him as soon as he untied my arms.

"Oh, Matsuda, thank god you're here!" He hugged me back. I was filled with relief, knowing I was somewhat safe again.

"Sophia, the entire task force was worried sick!" He escorted me to a black car with soft leather seats. I leaned my back against the seat, only to squeal in pain when the shards of glass dug deeper into my back. "I know it isn't unusual that he hasn't slept much, but Ryuzaki's been awake since you left, searching for you and setting up the entire rescue plan. He really cares about you."

"That means a lot to me, Matsuda.." My voice was raspy, I hadn't used it in a while. My throat hurt, I hadn't drunk anything in two days, either, and it was incredibly dry.

"We'll get you back to headquarters and taken care of, Sophia."

I smiled weakly. I was going to see Ryuzaki again, and I was going back to comfort and safety; I couldn't be happier.

**(A/N) Again, sorry for the delay in updating.. There's been a lot going on here at home. But, I'm proud to upload this one, it's the longest chapter in the story so far! Yay! **


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